Google Mobile Services (GMS)

See the following -

Debunking Four Myths About Android, Google, And Open-Source

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols | ZDNet | February 18, 2014

Several stories recently have spread misinformation about how Google licenses Android and its services. Here's the real story on how Android licensing works with open source and Linux. Read More »

Google Android Software Is Not As Free Or Open-Source As You May Think

Charles Arthur and Samuel Gibbs | Business Insider | January 30, 2014

Some mobile and tablet manufacturers are being charged six-figure fees by third party testing facilities for a license to use Gmail, Google Play and other parts of Google's mobile services, the Guardian has learned. Read More »

Who Controls Your Smartphone? And How to Leverage Open Source to Prevent it from Spying on You

There are many things about today’s world that warrant us asking that question. Do you or the mobile vendor control your smartphones? If you are a consumer, small or medium business (SMB) -- the answer is the vendor...What if you are a large enterprise or a government agency? The answer is still the vendor...How can the user regain control? Not all vendors have locked devices and walled gardens. Google’s line of Pixel hardware, for example, is a mid-market solution whose bootloader allows locking and re-locking. Pixels support two versions of Android. Google Mobile Services (GMS), where free services are tied to data monetization and a UX like Apple and Samsung devices. Secondly, Pixels can run Android Open-Source Project (AOSP) code that shares the same strengths as the GMS build, but the customer controls the code base and updates. There are several companies that are selling AOSP operating system builds for Pixel and other unlockable/lockable mobile phones and tablets...

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